Friday, December 23, 2016

I am tired! Tired of shopping and planning and working and "mommy-ing". This year has been particularly difficult. So I am planning a meal that I personally would enjoy. I'm tired of stressing and making two meals. One for me and one for everyone else. Not this year! No Sir! No Mam!

For my meat eaters, I will grill some bird meat and fish as side compliments to the following wonderfully, beautifully fresh foods.

Sunday, November 20, 2016

I am going to super boost my system before the holidays. I usually manage to eat pretty healthy during the holidays but this year I am using the prep time before the relatives descend upon my home to prep my body. Let's face it, holidays are stressful. And I am particularly stressed this year. Whew!

So while I clean the house and cook the food I will boost my body. I plan to workout a little more and infuse my system with plenty of raw fruits and veggies and whole plant foods.

Here's my basic menu for each day:

Frozen fruit smoothies with greens. I will vary the fruit daily.

Blue spirulina for inflammation. This is good to combat the migraines the holidays usually bring for me. Blame stress from housekeeping, constant visitors and the oven being on all day. Perfect. Storm.

Green juice. I plan to drink 64 ounces a day. I will make my own or purchase some on the go.

I use this juice as "fast food". Not ideal but better than a burger. Don't judge me.

Huge salad once or twice a day with greens and avocado. I will most likely add carrots and red cabbage.

Banana Nice-Cream. I use frozen bananas and fruit to make a custard like dessert that is totally healthy and wonderfully delicious. I will serve this after dinner on Thanksgiving as well.

So there it is. My base meal plan for the holidays. I will serve my guests lots of greens, fresh fruit, vegan pies and healthy desserts that will be sooooo good! I will also prepare traditional dishes for them like roast turkey (not a favorite of mine) and stuffing. I will do my best to make my guests feel welcome in my home. I will not make them feel judged because they eat meat or isolate myself from them because I don't really eat animal products anymore.

(I'm also gonna have a martini. Again, I repeat, don't judge me.) lol

I hope everyone enjoys the holiday and uses the time to love themselves and the ones who love you. Take care of yourself and show compassion and sweetness to your family and friends.

Tuesday, October 25, 2016

I spent $60 on a bounty of fresh produce this week to enhance our fruit and veggie selection at the house.

Banana for snacks and apples for juicing and lunch boxes.

Carrots for juicing and broccoli slaw for dinner salads.

More juicing carrots and parsley for seasoning and juicing.

Red grapes for snacking. Carrot juice and green tea the beverage of choice for us. I keep it stocked because the people I love, love it. 😊

This week I hit a few good sales and used a for a coupon for trying grocery delivery. Which came in so handy because I was in bed (read: under the bed dying and praying for death) with the flu this week. I couldn't take my babies to school or cook dinner for the people I love. It was horrible.

I'm back now. Looking for ways to save us money and eat fresh. What do ya think?

This week's bill was $140

$60 worth of fresh foods.

$30 for another case of bananas for me to keep eating with a more raw vegan focus in my daily intake (more on that later)

$10 for organic Mac cheese for the kid, along with some beans from the Indian market.

$20 for organic frozen veggies.

Not too bad? I could feed five people (2 adults and 3 kids) for over a week almost two with this haul. (Not including lunches for the kiddies and a family pack of chicken for the meat eaters -$20)

Wednesday, October 19, 2016

They got me! The virus got me! No....I don't get a flu shot becuase I always have a bad reaction to them. Stopped years ago.... Have only had the flu once since. Until NOW! (I don't advise skipping the flu shot. This is what I do. I am not your doctor. You do what you feel is best and most advisable for your own health.)

Omg

Omg

Omg

I was so miserable and in so much pain that I wanted to write my last will and testament. Given the amount of stress I have been under lately I think my immune system withdrew from classes for the semester.

So here I am, lying in bed praying for the sweet release of death, when it occurred to me to do three things. I'm a health advocate. I can do this!

One - start juicing vegetables and mega dosing bowls of leafy greens.

Two - take an herbal remedy/mineral cocktail.

Three - literally do everything in my power to sleep for 48 hours straight.

The combination worked wonders. Six days later, I still feel like a bus ran over me, but I am no longer praying for death and hopefully tomorrow I will be well enough to return to work and the land of the living.

Here's what I juiced:

Carrots, celery, spinach and garlic. Yuck! Don't judge me. I drank 32 ounces of this twice a day. Along with green tea.

Here's what I took:

I took these two or three times a day according to the bottle's dosage recommendations.

I advise you see a doctor immediately if you think you have the flu and do what they tell you. I went to an MD. I tested positive for the flu virus. I immediately removed myself from all other humans and proceeded to try to heal. The above regimen is what I added when after three days, I felt horribly worse not better.

And when I say worse, I mean WORSE. I thought I was truly going to die. It was at that moment that I regretted not giving a few people a piece of my mind and instead taking the high road....funny how at death's door you regret the things you didn't say. Lol. I won't elaborate here but there were some cuss words involved. I digress, that's a story for another day. I'll have to do more yoga or something to ground myself better when I am back at 100%. Life is coming at me these days. But I will survive!

Thursday, September 8, 2016

I keep saying I am going to grow my own wheatgrass. Don't hold your breath.... One day I'm gonna use those trays I bought and do it! I am I am!

Meanwhile, I do use the convenient organic wheatgrass powder almost every day. I mix it in very cold water and have shot or two. I find consumption helps with my migraines and stress.

I also like to have an extra shot on days when I don't eat as many greens as I feel I should. Though I consume more greens than most, I still could do better. I usually get at least 3-5 servings of veggies a day. (Some days as many as 7 or 8.) I like to error on the side of more. Having a system full of greens is good for your overall health. Digestion, immune health, and disease prevention to name just a few benefits.

Wheatgrass also compares very well to other healthy popular greens. You don't have to eat a bowl full so it's easy to get the nutrition in a shot or two and be on your way. It tastes like grass...don't say I didn't tell you. But don't let the taste scare you away. After a few shots, you get used to it. (Or you just stop caring)

Use large lettuce leaves only instead of taco shells for a paleo or low carb version that is PHENOMENAL.....if I do say so myself.

Don't hurt yourself on these tacos. Haha They are so good that my taste tester said he almost bit his own tongue trying to get to the yumminess!

*note...Feel like splurging? Allergic to shrimp? This can be done with crab meat too. Use jumbo lump, season and grill in a cast iron skillet.

*frugal note .... I got my shrimp on sale and frozen. Can't afford shrimp? Or want to do a vegan option? Use tofu. Rub the tofu and marinade overnight in the taco spices. Next day, grill just the same as you would the shrimp.

Saturday, June 25, 2016

So many studies show that dairy and meat are not that great for you. I am trying to convert to no dairy at all in a quest for better health. My family history of heart disease makes me want to put as many variables as I can control IN my favor as possible.

I don't like the store nut mylks though. They aren't rich and creamy enough for me. They also have ingredients I can't read. I'll pass.

So here I am making my own almond mylk.

I soak 1 cup or 2 cups of raw almonds overnight. Rinse them. Then blend them in a blender with 2 parts filtered water until smooth and frothy.

Some people use what is called a nut mylk bag to strain the pulp. I don't. I just pour the mixture through a fine mesh strainer. Works just fine.

After the mylk is strained, I use a funnel to transfer it for storage into glass jars.

This is what I drink in the morning with hemp protein or whipped in a blender with hot coffee.

Sometimes I add a dash of salt (to preserve if keeping the mylk longer than 2-3 days). I usually add a teaspoon or two of pure vanilla and sometimes I add a sweetener like raw sugar or maple syrup.

All the above .... Equals deliciousness. I swear it's easier than it looks. This will keep 2-3 days in the refrigerator. A little longer if you add a dash of salt.

Tonight I was craving a nice sushi dinner. But if you are like me, by the time you get to the restaurant and sit down, you forget your budget and you're ordering things you don't need. Hunger forces you to buy appetizer foods that are too expensive and then the main portion of the meal ends up being wasted because you are too full to finish it. Or worse, you finish your food and end up stuffed having spent too much money on one meal.

Here's a way to save money and have some fun...make your own sushi at home. If you have kids, let them pick their own foods to place in the rolls and then they can have some fun in the kitchen with you.

These are sushi rolls made with vegetables. No raw fish or meats in this batch.

Nori sheets filled with:

Cooked brown rice tossed in soy sauce

Avocado slices

Red pepper slices

Lots of cilantro

Cayenne pepper

Served with:

Red pepper slices tossed in soy sauce and cracked black pepper.

These would be good served with slices of wild salmon sashimi or grilled shrimp.

I usually have more fruit and nuts in the car to snack on while driving to pick up kids etc.

It's not expensive or difficult. It just requires a plan. I use a cooler bag in my car and an ice pack in the summer. This works for me because I am a commuter who drives. I snack on these items in my car and at my desk.

Wednesday, April 27, 2016

Someone please tell me why winter has the worst fruit ever???? I get so bored with winter fruit. Summer creeps in and I can barely contain myself. I loveeeeeeeee berries and get so excited when summer rolls around. I can find fresh berries at great prices. It's my most favorite time of the year.

Here is one of my favorite ways to indulge in the lovely strawberries that arrive with the season. This is Cashew Cream and Fruit Platter. I eat about twice this much fruit for a light summer meal or share this platter with my family as an appetizer or dessert.

This is so simple to make. Cut up fruit of choice. Arrange on a platter. Blend cashew nuts, that have been soaked overnight in spring water and then rinsed, with maple syrup to taste. Plop it in the middle of the fruit.

One taste and you will know why I call it "love cream". Are you kidding me? It doesn't get much sexier than this!

Tuesday, February 16, 2016

This may be TMI, so forgive me for sharing, but I have the worst PMS ever known to mankind. My hormones rage! I am sleepy, cranky, hungry and the worst is that I crave crazy food combinations. Bbq chips and ice cream. Bbq ribs and spaghetti. Tortilla chips and coffee. It's a crazy time and I hate every minute of it.

I fight my PMS naturally through nutrition. I stuff myself with herb teas, veggies, greens, fruits and juices. Anything I can do to provide a surge of nutrition to create balance in a system that overflows with madness!

Here is one of my favorite PMS busting recipes.

This is a no fat ice cream I made in the ever famous Vitamix. If you ever doubted and thought that this machine wasn't worth the money, wait until you see it tear into some frozen food and turn it into custard. Omg! Bring me life.

Nice Cream

2 frozen bananas

1 cup frozen strawberries

1/2 cup frozen mango

1/4 frozen pineapple

1 tbsp organic vanilla

1 tbsp raw sugar (omit if you don't want it to be too sweet)

Dump all fruits into high speed blender (don't use a regular blender. You will burn it out.)

Use a tamper type device to push the fruit against the blades until a creamy custard emerges to make all right with the world.

Thank me later when your belly is full of these lovely nutrients, sweetness, creaminess and nothing bad at all. Mmmmmmn!

Tuesday, February 2, 2016

I try my best to avoid having anything plastic touch my food or water. It's not always possible, but I give it my best shot.

Today I am introducing my latest new gadget. I'm in love with this bottle! It is made of insulated glass with a bamboo lid. It comes with a stainless steel strainer basket so you can infuse your water with tea, coffee or fruit.

This little gem also comes with a sleeve to protect it from falls and to keep your beverage hot or cold longer.

Eternal Sunflower makes this snazzy little item and I got mine on amazon.

I'm going to give myself a big hug of thanks for this little treat and then I'm off to sip on my iced green tea courtesy of my new glass bottle. Cheers!

Wednesday, January 6, 2016

This is a hearty vegan dinner salad that can be a complete meal. It is perfect if you are cutting back on saturated fats or meats in your diet. It is also a good savory option if you prefer salty items to sweet. You know how some recipes have blended fruits as a dressing ? Yuck. I prefer italian type dressings myself. And this salad has just that.

Ingredients:

4 cups of mixed greens or romaine or destemmed chopped kale

One cup chopped red peppers

One half cup chopped yellow peppers

Handfull of chopped cilantro or basil or parsley

1/4 cup whole pecans

2 tablespoons of Good Seasons italian dressing packet prepared to taste according to directions with organic olive oil, apple cider vinegar and spring water

Pour one tablespoon of the dressing in the bottom of a large salad bowl.

Then add greens and toss them in the dressing.

Top the greens with the peppers, pecans, herbs with the remaining dressing drizzled in top.

This serves one or two depending on your appetite. I usually eat this as a main dish salad by itself. But it can be shared by two if you add a side of whole grains and perhaps a protein source if you are an omnivore.

About Me

I am a self proclaimed enthusiast of healthy living. I am obsessed with all things organic and fresh. I am also all about finding a bargain. I love healthy foods, along with organic and natural lifestyle products. I try to live a healthy life and not go broke doing it! My hobbies are running, spending time with loved ones, shopping and helping others get healthy. I try to use what I have learned about healthy living and self care to help others find ways to commit to a better life. It's not hard, but it does take a little work. Hopefully my tips can make it easier for you! Remember, "Today is all you have so make it great." Cheers to life!
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disclaimer: I am not a doctor, nutritionist or medical expert. This blog is not medical advice, nor should you take it as such. Please see your physician and don't do anything at all because I wrote about it here. Ask your doctor before you do anything, at all, ever. That is all.